Apple Vindicated to Have Not Created Master Key to Hack iPhone

Apple’s refusal to not give FBI the software to break iPhone seems to have been vindicated in the wake of apparent breach of hacking tools from the NSA.

Finally, Apple’s refusal to create the master key to hack iPhone seems to have been vindicated. As privacy advocates have revealed the breach of hacking tools and exploits which have been apparently stolen from the National Security Agency, FBI seems to be on the back foot in the fight against the second largest smartphone maker in the world.

Last week, reports had surfaced that a hacker group named “Shadow Brokers” had allegedly stolen a cache of the NSA’s top espionage tools. That’s not all; they had even offered to sell them to the highest bidder.

Why Apple was Right to have Not Created Master Key to Hack iPhone

Shadow Brokers went further and made available for download some of the tools. Security researchers have demonstrated that those tools work. The former employees of the NSA’s hacking team, Tailored Access Operations (TAO), have approved the claims.

“Without a doubt, they’re the keys to the kingdom,” said one former TAO employee, who spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal operations.

“The stuff you’re talking about would undermine the security of a lot of major government and corporate networks both here and abroad.”

The FBI wanted Apple to give it the software needed to break into the iPhone which was owned by Syed Farook, one of the shooters in the December attack in San Bernardino, California.

However, the tech giant had refused the request; asserting that the code would lead to weaker smartphone encryption and might get into the wrong hands.

“The NSA’s stance on vulnerabilities seems to be based on the premise that secrets will never get out. That no one will ever discover the same bug, that no one will ever use the same bug, that there will never be a leak. We know for a fact, that at least in this case, that’s not true.”

It’s indeed a grave concern and Apple seems to be on the right side of its assertion at least for now. What do you think?